We stand alone
by Might is Right
Summary: A happier time. Fairy Tail is ordered to guard the royal family of Fiore. How will this play out? For a strong enemy is advancing towards the capital with the strength of a thousand boulders. A peace destroyed. AU NatsuxOC
1. Chapter 1

**Side project I am working on due to the manga never really showing the royal family of Fiore. But knowing my luck, the royal family will be most likely be shown next chapter of Fairy Tail -_-' **

**This is AU and it does involve Fairy Tail. **

**Also, a message for my readers who I told that a new series wasn't going to be out for a while, could you guys help me out? This sounds so lame lol. **

**But for now, this could be seen as a filler type thing for the next big series. Enjoy.**

_XXXXX_

_In the history of Fiore, a member of the native population always ruled the kingdom. More specifically, the aristocrats would rule the kingdom through a system of deceit, trickery and assassination in order to secure the crown. _

_However, while the aristocrats were fighting, they didn't know what was happening in the rest of the world. The ancient Yulfstein Empire was on its last legs, ready to collapse. A new power was moving in, once a minor colony ruled by a Viceroy of Fiore. But the native population had overthrown him without anyone noticing and the nobles couldn't care less. _

_Because all they wanted was the throne. The king at the time, Christian, was incompetent, a terrible liar and a bad diplomat. His son and heir to the throne, Christian II was even worse. These 2 men sealed the fate of the royal house of Fiore by constantly telling obvious lies to the invaders who threatened to push into their land. The nobles sold their loyalty to these invaders, hoping that the invaders would win and that they would win favor and become the next king. _

_The royal house stood alone aside for a few loyal members of the court of Fiore. They stood alone._

**Castle Courtyard, Crocus X790**

"Present arms!"

There were several clicks as the soldiers lowered their rifles and aimed towards the scared royal family of Fiore. The king himself was cowering behind his son, Christian II who had enough dignity to stand firm as his father hid behind him. But the daughter of the house, Sabrina, was closing her eyes. She had accepted her fate, to lose her life to these invaders and be forever forgotten by historians.

And watching this from high stands was the leader of the invasion. She stood in the main bedroom of the former king, looking down on the stone courtyard, soldiers standing everywhere and waiting for the order to unleash a violent hail of bullets onto the former royal family. Anyone would have been shocked to learn that she was the cause of this invasion. She was barely a teenager. Golden eyes, short stature even though she was sixteen and her brownish blonde hair hanging down her leather armored back.

"Life lost at such a young age. A tragedy but a necessary sacrifice." She said darkly as she watched the scene below her.

Some would say that the young girl was disgracing the lavish room, with her simple leather armor, her dark words and her barbaric language but others would say that she brought a simplicity to a world of lavish parties, deceitful lies and assassinations for a fistful of gold coins. Indeed, she was a odd one for choosing a humble path.

And finally, she decided that this was enough, that the suspense was too great for the young girl who was closing her eyes down below. The young girl opened the window and looked down below.

"Prepare to fire on my count!" she shouted.

And young Sabrina, pushed against a wall, would have shed a tear because she never explained how she felt when she met that young man, his wild hair, his crazy actions. And she opened her eyes to see a rifle barrel staring her in the eye and she though back to a time when she was happy.

"3…"

The sound of his laugh.

"2…"

How she could never speak to him without growing red in the face.

1…." The way everyone had treated her as an equal and not a princess.

A happier time and then she saw the flash of the rifle.

**Short prologue I know but this was just a…test. I don't think I ever wrote something this dramatic before. Anyways, this IS an OC story but I think LunarBlaze and Edward the Pure have provided me with brilliant OCs (Hikari and Izaya respectively) but if you want to send one in, fine with me. Just note that the character will be subject to change and such. Thanks, FF**


	2. We know heroes

**Hmm, I don't really know what to say about this chapter. I feel like it is bad. Let me know what you think in the review. Thanks.**

_XX_

**Conference of Nobles, Salsbury**

The Conference of Nobles took place every 6 months in the town of Salsbury, where the ancient king Egbert II had gathered his lords and ladies together to raise funds to hold off an invasion of Fiore. But the nobles that gathered here today, where discussing something else. They were discussing the future of Fiore.

Usually, the king would be present at this conference, but the king wasn't. In truth, the current king had effectively left all power to the nobles. Had the king had been strong, and honest, perhaps they would not have been pushed to this situation. A great enemy approached from the east. And now, their power and influence was in danger. They met today, to debate on whether or not they surrender to this powerful empire from the east.

The nobles all met in a meeting room, a long wooden desk going the full length. The head of the table was where the king would have originally sat but it was empty and but the rest of the chairs were filled as the nobles argued over each other. The voices of the nobles filled the room and nobody could hear anything. Without a powerful king, the various colored robed individuals were fighting amongst themselves. Many wanted to side with the Garlan Empire and a few wanted to fight for their freedom. As the fighting grew to a climax, a voice settled everything down.

"QUIET! WE MUST HAVE ORDER!"

The fighting almost instantly died down and the faces of several nobles turned to see a young man standing from his seat. He was wearing wine colored robes and his dark brown hair was combed to the side and his face was filled with determination as he walked around the table, looking every noble in the eye. Everyone knew who he was. Kline Weserly, the last remaining descendant of the Weserly clan that had once dominated the world.

Kline went around the table, the room deathly silent. He finally ended up in his own spot and he spoke, his voice commanding.

"Gentlemen, you all know very well that the fate of our nation rests in our hands." He started, gaining nods from every noble in the meeting. "Our king has abandoned us and the Garlan Consulate rides towards us, ready to spill our blood. However. There is a way we can live to see another day."

Kline finished as the nobles began to silently murmur and speak to each other. What was this plan he had? Kline continued, elaborating on his plan.

"The Garlan diplomats know that their nation would easily crush us under their vast power. However, the battles against us would be bloody and long. We would not give up our land and power without a fight. But, what if we promised them our loyalty? Their king would surly let us live and keep our nobility!" Kline said as the nobles looked at each other and the murmuring increased. Kline sat down and the nobles started to nod their heads until someone stood and challenged Kline.

"Im afraid it is not that simple."

All eyes shifted to a man with red hair who had stood up. He was middle aged, around 50. He stood, his white robes sweeping over the floor as he glared over at Kline who just sat with an neutral face. He had glasses perched on his nose and he spoke with a voice nobody could ignore. There was wisdom in his voice.

"The Garlan Consulate knows of our terrible deeds. We forced them to work in our mines and degraded them. They hold the most terrible hate for us and they will not hesitate to destroy us. And also, their _queen _is a cunning and sly individual. She will not hesitate to rip our country to shreds. Selling our loyalty will do nothing but seal our fate." The man said as he sat back down and watched as the nobles sat grim faced, knowing full well that the man had a point.

"But Lord Tsubasa, how would you know?" Kline said as he stood again to challenge Tsubasa. "These Garlan people are after one thing. Power. We will give them power by selling our loyalty. They are savages and we are sophisticated."

Izaya didn't detect contempt or anger in his voice and recognized Kline as a good man but he had been misled. Suddenly another man stood up to voice his own opinion.

"Savages? Do savages carry rifles? Do they speak with the utmost importance in our own language? Do savages destroy an empire that once threatened us?" asked a man with chestnut brown hair and light brown eyes.

Kline smiled as he faced the new contester. Hikari Ryuusaga, one of the old heroes.

"Lord Ryuusaga, the Yulfstein Empire had been in decline for several years. Defeating them was no act of strength. It was a mercy killing. And even if we fought, the empire would massacre us." Kline looked around the room, asking all the nobles. "Do any of you know any heroes that can save our nation?"

A young man that looked very much like Hikari stood up. It was his son, Raigeki Ryuusaga. His eyes shone with determination as he answered Kline.

"Yes, yes I do. They are known as Fairy Tail."

**Xaria**

Xaria had once been the 3rd biggest city in Fiore but now it was a ruin, the buildings collapsed and the streets torn apart by Garlan cannons. The city had fallen easily, the Garlan military machine walking all over the poorly equipped soldiers and Rune Knights stationed there. The only building in any decent shape was the mayor's governor's house. And that was where the Garlan queen and her generals met to plan their strategy.

Sara Evadeus stood in front of a huge map of Fiore, the spots that they had conquered were marked in red and the spots that still resisted were marked in blue. She frowned as she looked at the city of Crocus and Arcana, the two biggest cities in Fiore. She was completely engulfed in her planning that she failed to notice that one of her most trusted generals, Archibald had come into the room and was waiting for her to allow him to stop kneeling.

Finally, she noticed Archibald's presence and told him to stand. Many would be surprised to see that the fearsome queen of the consulate was merely a 16 year old girl. The military had tried their best to keep her out of sight and it had worked, instilling fear in the minds of enemy generals. But now the queen stood, dirty blonde hair hanging behind her, her brown eyes looking at Archibald with embarrassment, her cheeks red.

"I-I am sorry Archibald I didn't notice you." She stammered as Archibald bowed, the general standing taller than the woman he called "My dear queen and mistress".

"No, I apologize my queen. But the reports are in. The Council of Nobles have met in Salsbury." He said, getting straight into the details.

Sara nodded, knowing that the nobles were concerned, several already having sold their loyalty to her and donating soldiers to the fight. But would they surrender? She hoped so. But she kept a strong face.

"And what of it. What have the nobles have decided to fight. They seem to have gotten the support of a mage guild. I don't know what they are called though." Archibald said, his eyes looking down at Sara.

Sara looked up at the man who stood at least a head taller than her. His classical brown hairstyle gave him the presence of any nobleman and he wore his military parade uniform at all times. But she could see something in Archibald's eyes. Something he wanted to tell her.

"What is it you want to really tell me, Archibald." Sara said, turning away from him to avoid eye contact. She was shy to say the least.

Archibald seemed surprised at this and he cleared his throat. He had wanted to voice his opinion for a long time now but had never been able to.

"If you could forgive me for saying this…I believe that the fight has shifted in the enemy's favor. But there is still a weak spot we can exploit. But, there is a strong barrier protecting that weak spot." Archibald explained, hoping Sara would understand what he wished to do.

The young queen stiffened, realizing what Archibald wanted. She turned, a look of shock on her face. This was an ambitious idea and it would not go well if it failed.

"You want to kidnap a member of the royal family, and destroy the mage guild responsible for their defense?" she asked Archibald.

"Yes. I understand that sending all the Wolf Claws to pursue a single guild is extreme but, I promise you that we will not cause more bloodshed and we will end this war quickly." Archibald explained, sadness in his eyes.

Sara stood there for a while, tight lipped. The Wolf Claws, sent away, vulnerable for assassination…Archibald even watched over her as she slept… She finally looked up at Archibald and nodded.

"Very well. If it will help end the war quickly, I want you to destroy this mage guild and kidnap members of the royal family as bargaining pieces."

**Strange chapter here. I didn't really like it. But, I hope you guys liked it and don't be afraid to send OCs! Also, the new chapter Of Body and Mind was released so check that out too. And to those who added this story to their alert list, could you leave a review? That would be awesome. Thanks. FF **


	3. Demands

**Sunday seems to be the slowest day for updates. I know that's true for me. Anyways, sorry to all my "Ravens have tails" fans. I wasn't able to update on Saturday because well…I didn't have enough energy to really make that chapter happen. And that's a really bad excuse considering I released a chapter that day. But I WILL have a chapter for you next Saturday, maybe even make it a double update. **

**But for now, we head onto the chapter.**

_The ancient records show that despite being politically incompetent, Christian II was a brilliant military leader, constantly stalling the Garlan war machine from completely controlling Fiore. However the army that Fiore possessed was outdated, still using old fashioned rifles and cannons. Their training was poor and many defected to the Garlan Army. Even the advantage of home turf was not enough as the Garlan homeland was similar to Fiore's geography. _

_But Christian II pushed on, fighting the Garlan army time and time again and withdrawing. However, things were about to get bad for the royal family. _

The press was going insane. Hundreds of newspapers rolled off the printing presses as people scrambled to get the latest scoops on the events so far. It had been reported that a man claiming to represent the Garlan Consulate had requested to meet with the Wizard Council. There had been no name given. The man had simply referred to himself as "Kalakos".

**Wizard Council**

A single man stood at the center of attention, the eyes of ten of the greatest wizards in Fiore looking down on him. He was the man known as "Kalakos" and he claimed to represent the Garlan Consulate. The council chairman, Guran Doma, looked at the man with growing anger. Kalakos seemed to think that he held all the power in this little meeting.

Kalakos reminded Guran of a former wizard saint and council member, Siegrein. But Guran knew better. He knew better than to look back on the past. And now, this man, his face covered why a veil of black cloth, was reading out the decrees that the wizard council must abide by.

"Wizard Council! You are the ten strongest mages in all of Fiore! You alone control the wizard world. You are free from control by the royal family. You are free. You have no loyalty to the royals! They hinder you! So why not join us?" Kalakos said as his black robes with silver patterns swept over the marble floors of the council meeting room.

One of the members stood up, his old face red with fury and his beard straggly. He violently slammed his staff down on the floor as he raged.

"Surrender to you Garlan dogs? Never! You are barbarians! Never will I bow my head to a country that makes their mages wear wolves teeth around their necks!" he shouted in rage as everyone else nodded besides Guran.

Kalakos would have smiled if a black cloth didn't hide his face. He touched the wolf teeth necklace that he wore around his neck.

"Barbarians? Us? No. These teeth don't signify barbarism. They signify courage and bravery! We have a culture as do you! But we do not let civilization hold it back! We embrace all people, unlike you and your selective ways. Your nobles are corrupt and self serving. Half of them have sold their loyalty to us! But we, we will change everything. Bow to us, and I assure you that the Great Queen shall be merciful." Kalakos said smoothly as he bowed elegantly towards the marble floor.

This drew several angry shouts. The queen of the Garlan Consulate was a WOMAN? Outrageous! The same member who had shouted earlier stood up, joined by several others. He pointed viciously at Kalakos and he shouted angrily towards the black veiled man.

"A woman! Their leader is a woman! This proves their barbarism! Show your face you coward! You hide behind a veil of black cloth and tell me that I must bow to a woman? I dare you to say that again!" he shouted, every vein in his body bursting with anger.

Underneath the veil, Kalakos' usually smiling face slowly turned into a glare. He could feel the council member's hateful words hitting him like a spear through his chest and then realized that he had directly insulted the queen. The anger grew inside of him and his face twisted into a sneer, although unseen by anyone in the council. He raised his hands and everyone in the council started to grow quiet. All the while, Guran watched with interest. Something about Kalakos had changed. Something…was about to happen…

And it did.

The first thing that the council member who had shouted in rage suddenly gave a squeak as he suddenly reached up to his neck. Guran and the others almost jumped from their chairs. The council member started to gag and he tried to scream, his body jerking about and his face turning blue.

"H-hes choking! Hes choking! Guards! Help him!" one of the other council members shouted as a group of Rune Knights entered the room, swords drawn.

They didn't stand a chance.

A wave of black swept across the floor, knocking the Rune Knights down to the ground and sent their swords sliding across the floor towards Kalakos who had turned to look at the Rune Knights. The swords started to shake and they changed into cobras that slithered across the ground and started to grow larger and larger, until they could swallow the knights whole. The council let out a scream of terror and Guran felt his own stomach squelch and he had to control himself, his gut wrenching as the cobras swallowed the knights and turned back into swords.

Meanwhile, the council member who had spoken out had already suffocated. His body had fallen on top of his desk and he lay there, arms hanging off the side. Kalakos looked back towards the council and his hand lifted up the veil enough that they could clearly see a single eye looking at them, cruelty dancing in his eyes.

"I will be waiting for your sincere reply to my queen's demands….."

**Fairy Tail**

The news had spread like wildfire. The council of nobles had set a bodyguard for the royal family and a council member was dead. The mages at Fairy Tail couldn't stop talking about it. Erza and Mira were currently speaking about the bodyguard team when suddenly the doors to Fairy Tail slowly opened and a man dressed in a business suit walked in.

The eyes of every mage in the guild went onto the man. He was middle aged, neatly combed brown hair and a blue business suit with a red briefcase. He wore glasses and he walked with purpose. He walked right up to Laxus and he cleared his throat.

"Excuse me. I wish to know where Makarov, the guild master is." He said to the blonde haired S-class mage.

Laxus gave the man a look and he glanced at Gildartz who gave the lightning dragon slayer a nod.

"Hes in his office. Over there." Laxus said gruffly, pointing the man in the direction of a small wooden door in the very back of the crowded but silent guild.

The business man gave Laxus a curt nod and he continued on his way, passing by the wooden pillars that held up the guild and ignoring the eyes of the guild members watching him. He walked up to the door, knocked twice and the door quickly opened and the man disappeared into Makarov's office.

…

"Please…sit down." Makarov said as the man placed the briefcase on the desk and sat slowly down into the small wooden chair.

The man adjusted his tie and looked at the guild master. Makarov was a wizard saint and he was also one of the most powerful mages in Fiore. The man quickly clicked the briefcase open and swiveled it around so that Makarov could see what was inside. The guild master's eyes grew wide, unable to comprehend what was being shown to him.

Millions of jewels lay in the case. Stacks upon stacks of the bills arranged neatly, sitting in rows. Makarov was speechless as he looked up at the business man. Who the hell was he?

"W-who are you!" Makarov asked him in disbelief.

The man adjusted his glasses and his face was grim.

"My name is Travis Brown. I am the head of the Fiore Currency Department and I have been tasked to give you a job that will never be seen again in your lifetime." The man said as Makarov leaned back in his chair.

The guild master nodded his head and settled into his chair, ignoring the millions of jewels sitting before him.

"And what is this job…" Makarov asked, curious to as what might be worth this large sum of money.

"As you know, Fiore is in danger. In order to protect what is ours, the Fiore Royal Family is paying you this sum of money to protect the princess of Fiore." Brown said, looking at the guild master.

Makarov pushed the briefcase away to the surprise of Travis.

"Keep your money. You said that you wanted to protect Fiore right? Well I do too. It should be my duty for all I care. We do this for free. I'll gather the team to protect her highness." Makarov said seriously.

Travis Brown nodded slowly, surprised at how Makarov had rejected the reward. Perhaps he knew that the money would be worthless if he failed?

"Very well. Please travel to Crocus as soon as possible."

**I actually typed the majority of this on Sunday. I also have a question.**

**When do you guys usually read this? I notice that a lot of people upload posts in (my) dead of night so I obviously wonder when people really read my chapters. I don't expect everyone to have the same timezone as me. I just want to know when you usually get the notification that a new chapter has been uploaded. **

**Anyways, I hope you guys liked this. Double update today, aw yeah. FF**


	4. Defend the crown

**This idea has been in my head for a while. Anyways, we meet some important characters who were seen back in chapter 2 but not fully introduced. This chapter could be long or short depending on how I want to end the chapter. **

**Anyways, we head onto the chapter.**

_Fiore once boasted a mighty military, filled with strong generals and well trained soldiers. But after the Weserly family was removed from power, the military lost their purpose as the military was used to forcefully obtain money from those who hadn't paid or used as a warning to the citizens. From then on, the once invincible military of Fiore started to fall apart. It happened slowly at first but the true decline happened after the Burnholt Plague in which most of the generals died and were replaced by mercenary generals. The ordinary soldier was hit hard too as a large amount of soldiers died from the deadly disease. _

_The last competent general died a year before the Garlan Consulate defeated the Yulfstein Empire and took over their territory. At around this time, the knowledge of the world was very limited. Most people in Fiore were too poor to afford travel and those who were wealthy enough were scared by the thought of being eaten alive by cannibals who lived in the "dark corners" of the world. It was truth that Fiore was the most advanced country of that time but as the military declined, the other countries soon became stronger than Fiore. _

_But that didn't mean they were going down without a fight. They would fight to the very end._

**The fields close to Niga and Darcados**

"Fire first volley!"

The sounds of several shots ringing out blasted through the air and several soldiers fell dead onto the grass, staining it red. Niga and Darcados were two small farming towns that had a road that was a straight shot to Arcana. The military knew that if the Garlan invaders controlled the road, there was no stopping them from reaching the capital. And so Christian and his son, Christian II, made their stand, ready to defend the small farming towns from the invaders.

The armies of Fiore stood, rifles ready and cannons in place, the soldiers waiting behind the several small houses that stood in the villages. Christian and his son watched nearby, hoping for the best. Christian II looked at his father who was looking nervously at the horizon.

Christian and Christian IIlooked very much alike, both having striking blonde hair that went down to their shoulders and blue eyes that were intimidating at first but then gentle afterwards. They wore their armor which was made of steel plate and gold lining and Christian held binoculars in his hands, waiting for the enemy.

"Father, do you think they will win?" Christian II asked, anxious for his own chance to fight up close.

The weary king sighed and put down the binoculars. They were in safety, being in the back lines but the king couldn't help but feel vulnerable, in this small pitiful village. Even the massive amounts of soldiers they had couldn't make him feel safe. The king looked at his son, his eyes neutral.

"We can count on it. They know as well as we do that if they take this road, the war is as good as over. We just have to pray to Saint Parallel that we be victorious." Christian said, offering a quick prayer to the saint.

Christian II nodded and he sighed, looking over the battlefield as men fought and died, knowing that the fate of Fiore was decided in this battle.

…**.**

"**Siek de Freik*!"**

The infamous battle cry rang out over the battlefield as the soldiers of the Blue Army ran forward, rifles ready. The blue armored soldiers lined up, presented their rifles and fired, the superior firepower and training of the Blue Army knocking out several lines of Rune Knights.

And the person who masterminded this display of brute force and destruction was a woman who stood beside a man who wore a ceremonial set of armor and was at least a head taller than the woman.

"Cannons!" the woman shouted and several shots rang out as cannonballs smashed through the small houses that the enemy soldiers were hiding behind.

The woman scowled and drew her sword, ready to rush into battle herself. But the man who stood beside her stopped her.

"My lady, no. There is something different here, I can feel it…it would be best not to rush into battle. You may not want to put yourself in a difficult situation…" the man said to the woman as she put her sword away and growled in frustration.

"Archibald, it is my duty to dead into battle immediately-"

Suddenly something made the woman stop speaking to Archibald and look over as hundreds of soldiers turned and retreated back to where Archibald and the woman were arguing. There was a shout of fear that was followed by a fierce roar as a group of Rune Knights appeared over the horizon, most of them holding dual swords and screaming with a ferocity unseen by any Rune Knight. Archibald turned to the woman and immediately scooped her up in his arms.

"We must leave. Soldiers! Retreat hamem! Hamem!*" Archibald ordered as the soldiers ran from the groups of Rune Knights charging and the man ran with the soldiers, disappearing over the various hills that lay behind them.

…

Once the Garlan soldiers had gone, Christian and Christian II let out a shout of joy and the other soldiers soon followed, all of them shouting in joy and shouting battle cries. They had won!

"Victory is ours!" Christian laughed as the soldiers cheered.

**The road to Crocus**

"Have we ever seen the princess herself?"

The carriage rolled down the road, the ornate designs indicating that the people riding inside were of noble status. Inside the carriage were a group of nobles. They were well known throughout the Council of Nobles for their outstanding service to the kingdom of Fiore a long time ago. They were the heroes of an uprising known throughout the kingdom. Izaya Tsubasa, Hikari Ryuusaga and his son, Raigeki Ryuusaga. Izaya's son had not been able to travel with them as he was off on other business but would be returning soon.

Currently, they were discussing the princess of Fiore, Sabrina. The Tsubasa and Ryuusaga family had been selected to head the bodyguard team as they had recommended the destructive mage guild in the first place. Izaya held the file that contained all the information that was collected of the princess. The red haired mage frowned and thought.

"No I don't think we know much about the royal family at all. Christian likes to keep things secret after all." Izaya said as Hikari and Raigeki nodded.

They were currently on their way to Crocus so they could meet with the princess. Izaya opened the folder and looked through it, taking note of important things. He passed the folder to Hikari and Raigeki.

The two Ryuusaga mages looked at it with interest. The princess looked more or less like they had expected. She had blonde hair but it was more brownish than golden and her skin was not like that of Christian or his son. Her skin was honey colored and instead of blue eyes she had green ones. A collection of polished emeralds hung from her neck and the princess smiled lightly. There was some information on her as well but it was mostly birth dates and other dates that weren't important to the mission.

"Hmm. Could be a challenge, hiding her away…" Raigeki said calmly as his father closed the folder and Raigeki looked out the window. "Although, there could be others following us."

The two older mages nodded. They too knew that many would try their best to get their hands on the princess of Fiore as a hostage.

"Don't worry, we have a strategy. Im pretty sure we can pull this off. We just need to be smart." Hikari said as he leaned back against the carriage seat and the mages sat in silence as they awaited to arrive at Crocus.

…

"My lords." The soldier saluted as the door to the carriage was opened and the three mages stepped out, looking up at the huge palace that stood before them.

Izaya looked at the soldiers who had gathered in front of the palace. The team from Fairy Tail wasn't due for another few hours so he turned to the guards.

"Don't let anyone into the palace for the next few hours. If they try to force their way in, shoot them. We need to be serious about the princess's security." Izaya said as the soldiers saluted and the three mages walked towards the main doors of the palace.

**In the palace**

Sabrina de Flarina, princess of Fiore and countess of her grand majesty's lands, heard the group of mages outside as soon as they arrived at the gates of the palace. The princess was currently playing "Busican**" a game from the Garlan Consulate that involved economic situations. Her opponent was a man who lived in the palace. He wore simple brown robes and his black hair was straight. His brown eyes looked over the board with interest.

The princess sighed and looked back at the board and the man looked up, neutrality in his eyes.

"Hmm? What is it Sabrina." He said, his eyes watching the princess carefully.

The princess looked away, not wanting to offend the man who was supposedly a "honored guest of the royal family".

"…I may have to go soon. I am sorry." She said shyly.

The man nodded and he started to put away the stacks of money that were on both sides. He folded up the board and set everything back in the box it had come out of.

"That's too bad. It was starting to get exciting too. But I know that you have obligations. I remember when I had duties I had to attend to…" the man said, standing from table and getting ready to exit the room when the group of three entered.

The three mages bowed before her and the man stood there, watching the three. The nobles stopped bowing and suddenly Raigeki burst out smiling when he saw the man who was about to leave the room.

"Noel!" he shouted in joy.

Noel looked at Raigeki and smiled. It had been a long time since he had last seen his adventure friend. A cough from Hikari brought Raigeki's gaze back to the princess. Noel opened the door to leave when suddenly the princess spoke.

"U-um…could you please stay?" she asked.

Noel nodded and turned and walked back to the table. Izaya handed Hikari the folder he was carrying and he looked at the princess.

"Ma'am, we are here to protect you with our lives. We have been tasked with your defense and we will absolutely not fail. I swear to you on the honor of Saint Parallel." Izaya said, his voice serious.

Sabrina nodded and smiled sadly. A bodyguard team…perfect. Her freedom was already limited by the war and it was slowly slipping away. But she kept a strong face and smiled. Suddenly a shout from outside caught everyone's attention.

Izaya ran to the window to see what was going on. He quickly opened the fancy glass window and looked outside to see a group of Rune Knights struggling with several individuals. They were all shouting and one in particular was extremely noisy.

"FAIRY TAIL HAS ARRIVED!"

**This didn't go as well as I thought. But, we do get to see Natsu and the others next chapter. We got to see Noel this chapter who at this point, his health isn't all that great. But, here are the references for this chapter.**

***this is Garlan for "No Mercy" or "Death to all". It has several different meanings depending on what context you use it in including "Go to bed".**

****this was mentioned in The Sun Thief but I never told you what it was. Its basically Monopoly.**

**And there you go. Thanks and see you next time. FF**


	5. The hunt begins

**In high school, you have to make a schedule that will stay with for your entire year. That time is now. And it is due on Monday. Just one of those weeks. Good things its Friday soon….**

**Im still heartbroken over Minecraft…damn those Talosians T_T**

**Also, for some reason, I want to add a car chase for some reason in this story…don't expect it to make much sense. I just want to write it. Also, the OCxOC thing in Of Body and Mind expanded farther than I thought. And, there will be a lot of Garlan speech in this chapter. Hooray for unknown langauages!**

**Anyways lets go.**

_As the war/diplomatic relations between the Garlan Consulate and Fiore continued, the forces of Fiore doubled their efforts to defeat the great threat they faced. However, there was a force on the enemy side that was specially created to hunt down those that were in power…_

**Garlan base camp**

"You are the elite fighting force of the Garlan Conuslate! You are the protector of our great queen. Your mission is to protect our queen. However, some of you have been selected for a special task." Archibald said as he walked among the ranks of black armored soldiers. "You have been selected to hunt down the most vulnerable of the royal family. The princess of Fiore is your target…"

The man wearing his ceremonial armor looked into the faces of the young men who had been taken out of the Red Army and selected for an entirely new fighting force. The Black Army. Their armor was the best, their weapons were the best and their generals, were the best in the entire Garlan armed forces. Archibald finished and looked over the ranks of soldiers and he smiled.

He pushed his gold rimmed glasses up to his eyes and he smiled. However, he was angry in the inside. Why did the queen wish to send him on a mission for the princess? Why? Without his protection, the queen would be vulnerable to assassins. But Archibald pushed his feelings away and he decided to do his best for his queen….and the love of his life.

Archibald whipped around and he pointed his finger towards the horizon, his face serious and full of determination.

"Go! Use your rifles, use your helmets, use your shovels and most of all, use your will to succeed!" Archibald shouted to the black armored soldiers.

"YES MY LORD! For the great queen, **Seik de Freik**!"

**Crocus, the summer palace**

"Well, a bit early aren't you, Natsu." Izaya smiled as Team Natsu sat down on one of the couches.

The fire dragon slayer just gave a grunt, mad that the soldiers wouldn't let them in even after Izaya had cleared them. It had taken the princess's word for the legendary team of mages to be allowed into the palace. The princess herself had gone off to have breakfast and to pack for the trip and Noel had gone with her. Raigeki had also gone and only Hikari and Izaya were left to greet the team of mages.

"Sorry for the commotion we caused." Lucy said, apologizing for their abrupt entrance.

Hikari and Izaya laughed, remembering when they were a part of the guild themselves. But eventually they calmed down and they started to talk about serious topics. Hikari spoke first, trying to get the team of mages situated.

"As you all know, the kingdom is in danger. We have been asked to protect the princess for as long as we can. We have a plan ready but we need you to approve it." Hikari said, looking at each of the mages.

Gray nodded and that got everyone nodding besides Natsu who was still annoyed by the soldiers.

"We approve it, whatever it is. We just need to protect the princess." The ice mage said.

**Near the summer palace**

"Vira no paia." (I see them) The leader of the soldiers said as they silently brought their cart to a stop.

There were 5 soldiers and they all wore the black armor of the newly instated Black Army. The leader was holding a pair of binoculars and pointing towards the summer palace. As the war was raging, the roads were lightly guarded and the troop of soldiers had no trouble getting to Crocus besides the large patrol of Rune Knights they had met getting to the city. A few of the soldiers had died but more were on their way.

Suddenly there was the sound of steam being let out from the steam engine of another wagon as it pulled up beside the leader. There were at least 12 soldiers in the wagon and they were armed to the teeth. The leader turned to the group of soldiers. The mission was about to start.

"Nogsia filano pisa negania. Gorga mexia ancora qesta." (Our mission will begin soon. We will go first.) The leader said as the other soldiers saluted.

**Outside of the palace**

"Its time to go." Noel said as the princess looked up from her packing.

She sighed and looked back at the door of her room. It was sad to leave behind this summer palace…the memories were flooding in. She looked at Noel and she smiled weakly.

"I guess its good bye then. Thank you Noel…" she said sadly.

Noel frowned and he grabbed her shoulders and shook her. Raigeki was surprised, almost stopping him. How dare he roughhouse the princess!

"Its not over yet and it never will be. You fight for everything you have or you die at the end of rifle. Save everything you have for die trying." Noel said seriously as the princess nodded her head very fast, surprised by Noel's sudden change of behavior.

The princess then looked over at Raigeki who was glancing towards Noel who was closing his eyes and opening the door. She smiled at him, making Raigeki blush slightly.

"Thank you for protecting me. It means a lot to me." She said as she walked out of the room, followed by Raigeki and Noel.

**Outside of the palace**

The carriage that Izaya and Hikari were planning to use was much different than the one they had arrived in. It was plain, made of wood and it was not very expensive. Team Natsu would be travelling on foot, pretending like they were on a job. They had already left, having instructions to meet Izaya and Hikari at a small town known as Yanma.

Izaya and Hikari were talking about their plan as the princess exited the summer palace, the guards at the door saluting as she walked out. Noel and Raigeki were behind her and she walked up to Izaya and Hikari.

The two nobles bowed and Hikari opened the door of the carriage for her. Inside the plain wooden carriage was a set of ordinary peasant clothes. The princess bowed to Izaya and Hikari.

"I would like to thank you both for helping me. It means a lot to me." She said as she started to step into the carriage.

Suddenly Izaya stopped her. He held out his hand towards the princess. Sabrina looked at the red haired noble's hand with confusion.

"Your jewels. The necklace of emeralds. I need them. They will be a dead giveaway if anyone ever sees you." Izaya said as the princess touched the necklace of cut emeralds that hung around her neck.

"B…but these…" she said, reluctant to take them off.

"I'll take them."

Noel stepped forward and he held out his hand. Sabrina slowly nodded her head and unclasped the necklace and handed it to Noel. The saint then put the jewels in his pocket and smiled, one of his first since his own adventure. Izaya and Hikari nodded to each other and they both climbed to the top of the carriage and sat where the driver would sit.

Raigeki said goodbye to Noel and joined his father. Izaya clicked the button that activated the onlu thing sophisticated about the carriage, the steam engine. With a hiss, the group was quickly on their way. On their way to an uncertain future.

**On the road…**

The first bullet missed, hitting a tree. But the noise was enough to catch the attention of Izaya and Hikari who were awake and sitting at the top of the carriage, steering it. Raigeki was asleep at the time but woke at the sound of gunfire.

Of course, the shouts were even louder. The three nobles looked behind them to see a handful of black armored soldiers chasing after them with their own steam carriage. They held shiny new rifles and their black helmets were spiked with three vicious spikes, the bases meeting at the center, like a small crown. Izaya and Hikari looked at each other and both reached into their robes.

They drew the pistols they kept with them and aimed back at the enemy soldiers.

"Return fire!"

**I love car chases. Expect more involvement later on. My attention span was -1 during this chapter. Mainly because I need to make my sophomore schedule -_- thanks and don't forget to review! FF**


	6. Road of trouble

**That awkward moment when you notice you are freezing to death. No seriously. **

**But anyways, here we are with another chapter. Not much to say, expect a Ravens have tails chapter later with 2 new OCs!**

**Enjoy.**

"Vir!" (Fire) the leader of the soldiers shouted as the soldiers shot a volley of bullets that tore through the sides of the carriage, splintering the sides.

Hikari and Izaya drew their own pistols and fired back, the bullets striking the metal of the soldier's helmets but bouncing off. They were travelling at a fast pace, enough that crash would be fatal to everyone on board, including the passenger. They zipped past trees, the wooden carriage wheels driving over the gravel pathway and tree branches smacking the sides of the carriage as the soldiers in the carriage behind them reloaded and fired again.

Hikari looked at Raigeki who was ducking down and shouted at him.

"Raigeki! Get into the carriage! There should be a stockpile of ammo and rifles underneath one of the seats! Hurry! Theres not much time!" Hikari shouted as his son gulped and peeked around the carriage and quickly ducked back as the wooden side splintered as bullet slammed into it.

The wind was blowing through Raigeki's brown hair as he quickly grabbed the side of the carriage and swung downwards towards the carriage door. Problem was, it was closed and Raigeki clung to the side of the carriage, heart pounding, looking at the soldiers in the chasing carriage with fear in his eyes.

"Bay vir ni!" (Fire at the boy!) Raigeki heard as the soldiers started to reload their rifles and aim towards him.

'Damn it! I need to get in! Now!' Raigeki said as he smashed his feet into the carriage door.

The door opened and Raigeki felt himself be pulled in. It was just in time as the carriage door that had been thrown open suddenly had several holes in it and it completely fell off the carriage, the soldiers swerving to avoid the wooden door. Raigeki found himself on the floor of the carriage, looking up at Sabrina who was cowering in the back corner of the carriage.

"Princess! Are you alright!" Raigeki shouted as he lifted one of the wooden seats in the carriage to see several rifles inside.

"I…Im fine! Please! Just get r…rid of those men!" she wailed as several bullets broke the windows as the carriage went around a bend and the soldiers had a good shot at the fragile glass.

Raigeki nodded and he loaded one of the rifles, remembering what his father had taught him if he couldn't use his magic.

'Steady…see your target…and then fire!' Raigeki thought to himself as he leaned out of the window and fired the rifle at the first black object he saw.

The rifle roared in his hand as one of the soldiers jerked and toppled over, the bullet punching through his triple spiked helmet.

"Yeah-" Raigeki was quickly pulled into the carriage before he could say anything else and he looked to see that the princess was looking scared, visibly shaking.

The carriage let out a groan and he heard a string of curses as his father and Izaya tried to keep the carriage going. The princess started to cry softly.

"Please…Saint Parallel…I pray to you…k..keep us safe!" she cried as Raigeki leaned out of the window again and fired.

He missed and the soldiers shot back, the shots slamming into the gravel. He heard shouts in Garlan and he looked out the window again to see the soldiers setting something up that looked like an octagon with several holes drilled inside of it. Dread froze Raigeki into place. He roughly grabbed the princess and shoved her to the ground, diving to the ground right after her.

"Freik nin! Vir nas!" (No mercy! Fire now!) the leader of the enemy soldiers shouted as the crew of soldiers turned the crank on the machinegun they had just set up.

The shots were slow and quiet at first, Hikari and Izaya not even noticing them as they quickly steered the carriage out of trouble and planned on how to get rid of the soldiers. But as they drove on, they heard the noise of the gun and the ear splitting sound of wooden planks being literally shredded off the back of the carriage.

The wood splinters flew as far as the front of the carriage where Izaya and Hikari had finished their plan to get rid of the soldiers.

"It's a bit risky Hikari but…we have to use magic. There is no choice here. We cant outrun them, we cant outshoot them but we have magic. A single well placed attack should do it! Between the two of us, you're more suited for ranged attacks!" Izaya shouted over the wind as the carriage suddenly bounced, jarring everyone's stomachs.

Hikari just grunted as he prayed that his son was safe and he bravely stood up as the wind hit his back, threatening to send him flying across the now caved in roof of the carriage. He faced the enemy soldiers with a hatred like no other. He saw the soldiers loading the machinegun once again and he decided it was time to strike. He opened his mouth, anger coursing through his veins.

"Light Dragon's!"  
>The soldiers pointed up at Hikari as blinding white light started to gather at his mouth.<p>

"Roar!" Hikari shouted as the light burst from his mouth, smashing through the side wheel of the enemy carriage.

The soldiers let out shouts as the carriage slammed into the gravel road and swerved badly, smashing into several trees. Hikari heard a shout in Garlan and then silence. The nobleman sighed and sat down next to Izaya who was whistling as the carriage started to slow down to cruising speed.

"Next time, we need a faster carriage…" Hikari sighed, tired and hoping his son was alive.

**Summer Palace**

The palace was on fire. The white hot flames tore through the lands around the palace, burning everything it touched. The fire surrounded the entire white marbled palace and several shouts and screams were heard as people jumped through the flames, holding rifles and other injured people. But within the impressive marble building, the second squadron of Black Army soldiers moved through the house, the orange glow of the fire surrounding the palace slightly illuminating the palace. They had been informed that all the guards were dead and the princess was the only one in the palace.

They finally came to the only room unsearched. The princess's private quarters and the soldiers broke down the door quickly and rushed inside. There was a shout and a crunch and then a thud as the soldiers surrounded the attacker and stuffed them into a sack. One of the soldiers dragged out another soldier that had been injured, somehow every bone in his body had been broken or fractured. The other soldiers came out of the house, large sack in their hands. Mission accomplished.

**Yanma**

Raigeki stirred quietly, having been blacked out for quite a long time. He slowly opened his eyes to see that he was trapped underneath a large wooden plank and weak beams of sunlight shined down through the tiny cracks into the cramped space. He looked next to him to see the princess, still blacked out and he quickly checked if she was alive. Raigeki groaned as there was a hiss from underneath the carriage and the sound of footsteps was heard. There was a voice and Raigeki recognized one. It was Roxas, Izaya's son and Raigeki's friend!

Suddenly the wooden plank was lifted off of Raigeki and the young nobleman slowly sat up, stretching his stiff body. He saw Gray who was holding the wooden plank in his hand grinning and the others were clearing away all the debris from the carriage floor. Raigeki sat up and he helped clear away a few pieces of splintered wood, careful not to get any in his skin.

"When did you guys get here?" Raigeki asked as he stood up on the wooden carriage floor, looking at the exhibitionist ice mage.

"Huh, well we were here for a while lets just put it that way." The ice mage said as Raigeki nodded and he stepped off of the carriage and breathed fresh air.

Gray and Natsu stepped into the carriage and lifted the princess from the floor and Natsu took over carrying her as Gray went to speak with Raigeki.

Hikari and Izaya watched as Natsu carry the sleeping princess towards the several small wooden huts that were in the background. She was a survivor alright…

**Gravel path**

"Yanma. They went to Yanma." The middle aged man wearing simple leather armor and several sword sheaths on his back said as he stood up, his brown hair blowing slightly in the breeze.

The man looked at the dead bodies of several Black Army and he nodded. The shattered carriage also lay there, smashed against a tree.

"Are you sure they went there?" Archibald asked the middle aged man.

The man nodded confidently.

"No doubt about it. This road only leads to Yanma and my tracking magic doesn't detect any traces of the group going off course." The man said.

"Good work P.T." Archibald said as he turned to the other two members.

One was a woman, delicate pale skin and blonde hair that ended in curls, wearing a fancy dress that didn't seem suitable for this sort of work. Her blue eyes were alert, looking for any sign of trouble. The man was wearing all black, silver traces in the soft black fabric. His eyes were twinkling and they appeared to be coal black. This group of four were known as the "Wolf Claws". Archibald nodded slowly.

"Then to Yanma we shall go."

**Well, there you go. Too bad I couldn't finish my other schoolwork before doing this. Anyways, thanks for reading! Also, be on the lookout for an awesome picture that will be posted on my profile drawn by sasame103! I will make sure to alert you all when she finishes it! Thanks, FF**


	7. A quiet day

**Laptop boot up speed is something like 5 minutes for some reason so Im not even going to use it right now. Desktop ftw? Buh, week is going to be long...**

**Anyways, here we have a nice peaceful scene. **

**Enjoy.**

_Christian and his son were holding the main roads to Arcana with an iron grip. Once the road fell, all was lost. However, the news that the summer palace had burnt down were not lost among the ears of the generals and rumors began to spread. And finally, Christian himself heard the rumors. Christian was natrually bad at everything but he wasnt a bad father. And naturally, he was worried about his daughter. But there was another thing that Christian had overlooked in his intitial grief. The people rallied behind the princess. It was not Christian or his son that the people held loyalty to. It was Sabrina. And with rumors circulating that Sabrina had been kidnapped or killed in the palace fire meant that the citizens of Fiore no longer had a authority figure they could trust to rally behind. The public was in diarray and a threat was slowly but surely emerging on the horizon besides the Garlan Consulate. _

**Wizard Council**

Guran Doma sat at the head of the council table head, alone, thinking. He was distressed to say the least. With each passing hour, the Wizard Council and Fiore dug themselves in a deeper and deeper hole. But where did that hole lead? Guran was a sharp man although being very old. He knew the threat of a Garlan takeover but he knew a threat much closer to home that could split the country in half. Some sort of storm was brewing. But he didnt know what that storm exactly was. It was a just a small series of mage clashes. A few fights here and there. Each time the mages had run from the scene, not witnesses and the victim's memories were always foggy.

"Tis a bad time for such activities..." Guran said gravely to himself as he looked down at the report before him.

The other council members had gone home or elsewhere and only the silence of the building was left to accompany the old council head.

"Let us assume that this distrubance grows bigger. We would have a war on two fronts. One in the magical world and one in the physical world...mages fighting mages in the mainland and the military fighting invaders along the coast." Guran said to himself as he though furiously, using his arcane knowledge to find a solution.

But the solution did not come. The only possible solution is that the threat didint become large enough to attract the attention of the guilds and military. And what about the princess? If she truly was dead...the boyguard team would have failed and they would have to be recalled to fight on the magical front. That would increase the chances of neutralizing the magical threat but it styill wouldnt solve the physical threat. And even worse, the enemy had mages as well.

Guran Doma just sighed and he pushed the report to the side. Too many problems rising up at once. It reminded him of the collapse of the Hijan Empire. The economy was terrible, inflation was at a height, the capital city had been destroyed in a recent invasion, the military had been in disarray and the plague was recorded to have set in a few days after. The result? The collapse of the Hijan Empire and the beginning of the Royal Kingdom of Fiore. And now, it was their turn to fall.

"The gods have abandoned us..." the wizard said, almost all hope leaving his body.

**Yanma**

The city was quiet, despite it being early in the afternoon. The city only had a total of twelve residents but the amount of houses that were in the small village could have housed at least four more families. But it was better for the group as they could easily have shelter in the houses without pushing the original residents out. The nobles had put the princess to sleep in one of the houses and left a few of the Fairy Tail mages to guard her. Hikari, Izaya and Erza were meeting about how the city would be guarded if the enemy were to somehow find them. But they didnt realize that the enemy were closer than they thought.

**...**

Sabrina woke slowly, smelling several different fragrances at once. She opened her eyes slowly, expecting to see soldiers guarding her but instead she saw a wall, colored a slight orange color. She heard no voices besides the sounds of people outside of the room. Where was she? All she could remember was...that horrible noise. That horrible noise that had shredded the wood straight off the carriage and then everything had gone black. Perhaps she had been taken to safety? Although that was highly unlikely...

The princess looked at her clothes, suddenly aware that her original clothes were gone. She was wearing the clothes that were in the carriage! She immediately grew red in the face, wondering who had dressed her in the new clothes. She rolled over and almost screamed when she saw the pink haired man staring down at her. His eyes were looking at her with fascination and for some reason, there was a cat walking back and forth at the doorway.

"You sleep weird. I mean, like you move back and forth instead of just sitting there." the man said suddenly, causing Sabrina to grow red in the face again.

"Are you saying that YOU were the one who undressed me?" she shouted at the man who simply leaned back against the wall and closed his eyes.

The man shook his head calmly, still closing his eyes.

"No, you can thank Erza and Lucy later. I was just ordered to guard you. And I was only here for a few hours. Popsicle was watching you the majority of the night." he said, grinning at the word 'popsicle'.

"Shut up Natsu." came the reply from another room.

Sabrina nodded slowly and stood up, looking at everything around her. It was a bare room besides the bed and the walls were all the strange ornage color. Sabrina looked at the man who had been called "Natsu". He was strange for sure. Wearing a scaled white scarf, a dark blue vest and slightly puffy white pants.

"I...Is your name Natsu?" the princess asked, still slightly afraid of the man.

"Natsu Dragneel at your service! Kicking ass since 777!" Natsu shouted suddenly, making the princess jump back, startled by the sudden increase in volume.

The cat suddenly stopped walking back and forth in front of the door and looked at Natsu, looking a bit concerned.

"Natsu, stop making the princess scared." the cat said, making the princess look at the cat in disbelief.

Natsu looked at the cat and grinned.

"Sorry about that Happy. I guess I got carried away." Natsu said as he laughed.

"T..talking cats?" the princess said, still not believing the cat had spoken.

Natsu looked at Sabrina, a weird look on his face. This girl was weird. She didnt believe in talking cats?

"Sure it did. Happy, my friend. Hes an Exceed. What, you dont have exceeds in the palace?" Natsu asked, looking at the princess.

"Aye sir!" the cat said in agreement, smiling broadly.

Sabrina just shook the surprise off and sighed. This was just a strange week filled with new discoveries and thrilling adventures. She tried to move out of the room but Natsu and Happy blocked her. She stepped back and frowned.

"Alright, talking cat or not, I need to leave the room." Sabrina said, feeling annoyed.

Natsu and Happy shook their heads really fast and Sabrina just frowned even more.

"I am Sabrina de Flarina and I command you to move." she said, hoping that her full name was enough to get the man and talking cat to move.

Instead, it made Natsu take a step forward, forcing Sabrina back as she didnt want to confront Natsu who was twice her size.

"You arent a princess right now. Just say please." Natsu said to the princess.

Sabrina sighed and Natsu stepped back to the door with Happy. There really was no way to change their minds. She curtsied graceously and smiled.

"May I please leave the room?" she asked, hoping it worked.

"No."

"Oh come on!"

**Garlan HQ**

Sara was staring down at a map when several black armored soldiers came in holding a sack. It was huge and there seemed to be something big inside. Sara looked at the sack with interest as the soldiers got on their knees.

"Great mother, we bring you Sabrina de Flarina, the daughter of King Christian I." the soldiers said as Sara motioned for them to stand.

The soldiers quickly untied the bag and out popped, Noel. Sara stared at Noel for a good few seconds and recognition hit her full in the face. But by then, the soldiers had aimed their rifles at the man and shouted for reenforcements. Sara trembled and her voice was shaky as she spoke to the man who looked at her with a familiar smile.

"B...brother?" the queen said, getting a nod from the man.

By then, at least a dozen soldiers had surrounded him and when they saw Sara hug the man, the soldiers immediately dropped to their knees. Noel looked at the soldiers and he smiled.

"Well, its good to be with family once again."

**Small forest near Yanma**

Raigeki and Roxas walked through the light forest, chatting about all they had missed during their own adventures. Roxas was 5'10", short red hair with a black streak down the left side of his face, and bronze eyes. He wore a red, button down, short sleeved dress shirt under a milk white trench coat, black pants with a brown belt, and crimson shoes. He also had 2 rings, silver bands, one on his right ring finger the other on his left middle finger, and carried a 6-string, acoustic guitar.

"It wasnt easy Roxas, im telling you." Raigeki said as they sat down on a fallen log and spoke about their adventures.

Roxas just laughed and scratched his head.

"So you are telling me...you fought several bad people, a goddess and a huge faceless entity and won? Thats a lot to believe." Roxas smiled as the two friends laughed.

"Yeah I know but it happened and I got through it. Of course I had a lot of friends to help me through," Raigeki said, thinking of Noel, Hitsugi, Zander and the others. He turned to Roxas and he was dying to know about his travels. "But what about you? I heard you did a quite a lot of travelling."

Roxas nodded, thinking about everything he had done in the past years. It was a lot to say but there was enough time.

"Well, you're right. I did travel a lot. But most of it was hunting down the last remaining members of the Shadow Hands. It took a long time but I finally did it. Of course, I had to do quite a lot of travelling in the process and I even got to visit the Seria* while I was hunting the Shadow Hands." Roxas said, sighing.

The two friends spent the next few minutes talking about Seria and those who lived there and laughed, enjoying their time as friends.

**Mayor's quarters**

Hikari, Izaya and Erza were busy discussing the city's defense. So far, they had agreed to evacuate the citizens first if the eemky attacked. But there was still something to discuss. What wuld happen if the defenses failed?

"We know that the enemy is willing to kill the princess. So, what happens if the defenses fail?" Hikari said, bringing up the dreaded question.

"I think the answer is quite obvious. We were sent on our honor to defend her. So that means..." Izaya said as he pushed up his reading glasses he had on.

"We fight to the death and hope the princess has enough time to get away." Erza finished, the room growing deathly quiet.

Fight to the death.

**Well, there you go. I hope you guys liked the chapter. References, go.**

***Seria is the Eastern Continent and is where Garla is located. Roxas visited the capital city under diplomatic immunity for a few days. **

**And I will see you all later! Thanks, FF**


	8. Suprise!

**Well, was down. They really need to tell us these things. On the bright side, I got an awesome background for the new laptop. Prussia from Hetalia is too epic. **

**But, here we are. A short chapter because I want to really build...suspense? for next chapter. Anyways, here we are. Enjoy.**

_And the war rolls on. Garlan generals soon learned that the Rune Knight armies were all concentrated around the central road and left the surrounding cities vulnerable for attack. The cities were soon conquered and it was not long before the Garlan army had completely surrounded Rune Knight forces. _

_It looked like the end of Christian and the Flarina dynasty._

"Son, leave now. Perhaps you can escape from this horrible spot I have created for us..." Christian said gravely, nervousness filling his heart and mind.

The prince just looked at his father with disbelief. Escape? Desert the soldiers who had fought and died for them? Christian II was no coward and he was not about to make a grand escape just so that he could live. He stamped his foot on the ground and looked at his father.

"Father, I am no coward. I will not run. I may be the heir to the Flarina name, but there are others who are more than able to carry our proud family name forward." Christian II said, tears starting to well up in his eyes.

The two men turned to look out along the field. Their soldiers stood around the base camp and the soldiers were densely packed. The sun was slowly rising, sending the rays of light down onto the grass stained red. Christian and his son watched with solemn hearts as they saw the Garlan flag come up from the hill, the dark figures of soldiers crowding around the huge amount of flags, emblems and banners. They surrounded the entire camp, soldiers loosely circling the base camp but with several tight rings around in case the Rune Knights managed to break through.

**"You have one last chance Rune Knights! Surrender yourselves to the Great Queen or perish on this red field!"** the shouts carried over the field to the Rune Knights who were huddled together and fear dripping into their minds.

Not a single Rune Knight moved. Of the original army of 30,000 soldiers Christian had raised, only 2,000 remained. All the rest had died in battle or had deserted for the Garlan army. The Garlans had taken every Rune Knight that offered their loyalty and an entirely new army section was created for the Rune Knights who had deserted.

Christian sighed and he opened his mouth, ready to bellow his answer back to the Garlans. This was HIS LAND! HIS PEOPLE! NOT THEIRS!

"I WILL NEVER SURRENDER! YOU HAVE NOT BROKEN ME YOU GARLAN DOGS!" Christian screamed back, the Rune Knights cheering as he shouted.

"NEVER SURRENDER!" chanted the Rune Knights.

**"Then perish! Seik de freik! Savanish!" **(No mercy! Charge!)

There was a huge roar and the Garlan soldiers stormed down the hill towards the vastly outnumbered Rune Knights. This was the fight of the century!

**Yanma**

The princess sat in the room, sighing. The talking cat and the pink haired man had left and another guard had come in. It was a dark blue haired man, and for some reason he didnt have his shirt on. He didnt seem bothered by this and he just looked bored.

"What, are you just going to stare at me all day?" the man asked, making the princess turn bright red and turn away.

"Ah! N..no Im sorry for...looking..." the princess said, embarrassed.

Sabrina had been thinking about a way to escape and she remembered what her old life had been like. Restricted and cold. Sort of like right now but less cold. Sabrina looked at the man and she was starting to get impatient. She had been sitting in the room for well over 4 hours.

"Why should I be in this room all day? Its not like a Garlan troop will come and kidnap me! Perhaps it is for the best if I give myself up!" she said angrily, tired of being restricted.

That got the man's eyebrows up. He folded his arms and looked at the angry princess.

"So the rose has thorns. Well, you might think you have a hard life but you really dont. You play a big role. An even bigger role than your father or brother. The people rally behind you. They adore you and as long as you are alive, the people wont give up hope. Why cant you see that? Natsu believes in you. I believe in you. Why cant you believe in yourself?" he said, sighing.

The princess grew red in anger. Of course she believed in herself! How dare he!

"Who are you anyway? Why do you confine me in this room!" she demanded, knowing she should be more gentle but losing control.

"Gray Fullbuster. And dont ask why I'm not wearing a shirt. It just happens. As to why you have to stay in the room, I really dont know." Gray said, not talking further than that.

The princess gave a frustrated groan and pushed past Gray, sending the ice mage to the side.

"H..Hey! What do you think you are doing!" the ice mage demanded as the princess walked out of the room and towards the door.

"I will do what I please! That is what I was trained for after all." Sabrina said haughtily, enjoying every second of her new found freedom.

Gray just groaned as he ran past the princess towards the house where the lords were staying. He barreled straight past Lucy and to where Erza, Hikari and Izaya were. The ice mage panted as he explained the situation.

"This is bad! The princess! She just pushed past me! Should I send her back?" the ice mage asked, not knowing what was correct in this sort of situation.

Hikari and Izaya looked at each other. The recent news had made the princess's safety an even bigger priority.

"We need her in the safest place possible...NOW."

**Somewhere else in Yanma**

"Now where am I?" the young princess wondered as she wandered past several trees and towards a small clearing.

She had gone from the grassy areas where the houses were and had travelled towards the forests because she had seen several people go there. But now she was lost, the medium height trees surrounding her and the green leaves hanging off the young branches.

"Boo!"

The princess let out a scream and she jumped back ,afraid for her life. But instead of Garlan soldiers, she found...a flying cat? The princess's mouth dropped open.

"A...flying cat!" she said, amazed. Cats could fly? What magic was this!

But then the princess realized she had seen that cat from somewhere... Then she remembered. The cat that Natsu had! It was the same cat! The princess looked down at it in amazement.

"Y..your Happy!" she said, smiling.

Happy nodded and the princess was about to pick the cat up and marvel at it when suddenly something tapped her shoulder.

"Boo!"

And once again, Sabrina de Falrina found herself screaming and hiding behind a tree. She peeked from behind it to see the strange sakura colored hair man laughing away with the cat.

"Hahahahahahaha! You should have seen the look on your face!" the fire dragon slayer laughed.

Sabrina frowned and looked at the two laughing away. She didnt like being scared but it was still nice to see people happy around her. Until now, everyone around her had been sad or acted around her as if she was a piece of glass, ready to break.

"Why do you guys scare me like that! Its not nice or funny!" she said, putting her hands on her hips.

Natsu stopped laughing and looked at Sabrina.

"Well, you are pretty easy to scare and the face you make is hilarious!" he said, doubling over to laugh again.

"Aye!" Happy said in agreement.

The princess was about to say something back to the laughing mages when suddenly something tapped her shoulder. The princess grinned and turned around, expecting another mage wanting to scare her.

"I wont fall for it this time-"

She was staring right at a man with his face covered by a black veil, his eyes black as night.

**Cliffhanger! YEEEESSSSS! PRUSSIA! YOU SHALL BE AVENGED!**

**I might be getting a netbook so I can write at study center or something. Anyways, I hope you enjoyed and I will see you next time! FF**

***and yes, I spelled "surprise" wrong on purpose**


	9. One by one

**Amazon shipping times give me a headache. I bought a netbook from them and they tell me it will arrive on March 6th and I would like it by Friday at the latest -_- **

**Im going to DC on the 4 day weekend this week and I wanted to get some writing done but I guess not if Amazon shipping tells the truth. But nvm about that. This story, Ravens have tails and The Sun Thief will be ending soon. There are only like...2-3 chapters left in each story. I am considering finishing them this week. **

**As for what I will do after they finish, I really dont have an idea. But anyways, lets go with the chapter. Enjoy.**

_The Rune Knights fought bravely but the superior training, morale and maneuvers of the Garlan Consulate defeated the once proud army of Rune Knights. The high command had attempted to flee but their escape was cut off and they were all captured. It was over for the King and his heir. They had played a risky game, and lost._

"Sena victoria!" (We are victorious!)

"Risaan Sara, te Gauze Risaan!" (Queen Sara, the Great Queen!)

Shouts of victory rose up from the crowds of soldiers gathered around the great road that would lead them towards the capital of the defeated nation. But there was still a matter to settle. The fate of Christian and his son still was undecided. Sara's generals recommended executing the two in fear of an uprising and Sara agreed. But she still didnt feel, victorious. Knowing that a member of the enemy royal family ran free was unsettling for Sara.

It was true that she could very well march straight into Arcana and proclaim herself the new queen but the princess was the most influential of the entire royal family. She commanded the loyalty of the people and if Sara did not command the loyalty of the people, she could not rule at all.

And these thoughts went through her mind as she sat at her field desk, several golden coins scattered over the desk. She was staring down into one of the gold coins, her eyes seemed to bore holes into the soft gold that carried her profile like a stamp. The door opened and in walked several Black Army soldiers, her brother and finally, after a long war, the captured Christian and his son. The soldiers forced the two proud monarchs to their knees and the two glared up at her, their eyes brimming with hatred.

Should she hate them as well? The obvious answer was yes, these two men had fought a war against her that had resulted in the deaths of thousands and they were proud, constantly lying to her in order to avoid major conflicts. But Sara was not some monster, she had a heart and she knew how the two men were feeling. But their lies, their hateful words and their prejudice were too much for the young queen.

"My queen, these two men have slandered your name. I will consider it an honor if I can cut of this virna*'s head." one of the soldiers said as they all knelt with Christian.

Sara slowly stood and she tried to keep a calm face, although she didnt know whether or not it was working. Noel seemed to be distressed as Sara spoke.

"Christian II of the Flarina line, you have constantly lied to me, slandered my name and you have treated me unjustly. You have decided to wage war with one of the most powerful women on Earth and you will pay the price for your pride. Execute them when we find the princess!" Sara shouted, anger dripping from her voice.

Noel stepped in. He couldnt allow anyone else die. Not after his horrible adventure.

"No! He was doing what he was supposed to do as a king! Protecting the people was his job!" Noel shouted, desperate to save at least one life in his life as a saint.

Sara held up her hand and Noel fell silent. It was true that Noel was the older brother but in this case, she held the choice of life and death.

"No, there will be no mercy. Take them away!" Sara shouted as she turned to Noel. "Come with me brother. We have somewhere to go."

**Yanma, the forest**

Sabrina let out a scream of pure terror as she jumped back, the man standing there like a statue. His face was covered by the black veil but she could have sworn she saw eyes as black as night... Natsu had already jumped to protect her and Happy had a stick in his little paws, ready to fight the strange man. The man chuckled slowly and he took a step forward, forcing the group backwards.

"You're highness, you must come with me. For the good of the kingdom. As for you, Fairy Tail mage, leave now." the man said as he bowed and made a sign* with his hand.

Sabrina glared at the man, knowing how uneasy she was with this whole thing. Natsu was bristling and he was about ready to fight and Sabrina knew how bad it would get if a fight broke out.

'Are there others? Is he alone?' Sabrina thought frantically as she looked at the black veiled face.

"For the good of the kingdom. I have been hearing that all my life...very well. Do not harm anyone else and I will go with you." Sabrina sighed with defeat. She didnt want anyone getting hurt...for her pathetic sheltered life.

The man bowed and was about to say something when a jet of flame blasted past him, lighting up several trees behind him. The man dodged easily and looked at Natsu.

"Hm. I see that you want to fight. Very well. You shall be given the honor of fighting Kalakos, one of the legendary Wolf Claws!" the man shouted as the shadows that the fires burning around them suddenly bent forward, several of the shadows shooting forward towards Natsu.

"Run! Get out of here!" Natsu shouted as he pushed the princess roughly back, sending her crashing into a bush.

There was an explosion as a cloud of flame and smoke broke into the sky. Sabrina couldnt do anything as Happy had grabbed her and lifted her into the air. Her eyes could only look on in horror as she saw the fires burning n the forest.

"Natsu..." she said, the tears stinging her eyes. Would anyone survive?

**Natsu Dragneel**

"Damn it...your a tough one arent you..." Natsu growled as he pushed the fallen tree off of his body and stood slowly to face Kalakos.

"I dont see why you need to fight me. You could give up and I would leave you alone. You are really simple minded arent you. Never thinking of the future." the man said, chuckling at Natsu's anger.

The flames flew past the man, causing the flames around them to grow stronger and burn up the once green forest. The ashes drifted in the air and smoke billowed as the one living trees burned into ash.

"I dont need your criticism! I just dont want you hurting anyone!" Natsu shouted at the man.

"Oh? But the problem is, by allowing the princess to go into the town, you have put her in even greater danger..." the man said, a mocking tone to his voice.

Natsu's eyes widened. Accomplices? The flame mage cursed and ran towards the town, knowing that his friends were in danger, all of them.

"Hhahaha, run Salamander!" the man called back at him.

**Yanma**

The princess was running as fast as she could, knowing that every second counted. Ahead of her were several citizens of the town and one of the lords was outside, all of them looking up at the flames from the forest. She almost crashed into Hikari as she pointed and shouted, every second her fear growing.

"They found us! The Garlan Consulate!" she shouted, her voice shrill from exhaustion.

Hikari seemed to freeze for second and then he quickly turned into the house he had come out of.

"Izaya! Everyone! Protect the princess!" he shouted, his voice serious.

And as if rehearsed a thousand times, the Fairies came running. They seemed to have been preparing for this very day, Erza already armored, Lucy holding her golden keys, Gray already prepared to fight. But as Sabrina turned, her spirits fell. Natsu was running out of the forest, shouting something she couldnt hear.

"Whats going on!" Erza shouted as the Fairy Tail mages gathered with Hikari and Sabrina.

"The Garlan Consulate has come! They found us and they sent a mage!" Hikari shouted.

Gray was about to say something when suddenly he whipped around and created a shield made of ice just in time to block the several hundred needles shooting towards them. The thin metal needles smashed into the ice, making the ice shield look like a porcupine. Everyone looked over to see a man walking towards them. He was middle aged, simple leather armor with several sheaths attached to his back. His fair brown hair was cut short and he was smiling. Gray grit his teeth and he let out a shout as he dashed forward.

"Nobody is going to make a fool of Fairy Tail with needles!" he shouted as he threw a punch at the man.

The man dodged and he pushed Gray back, sending several needles shooting towards him. The ice mage managed to dodge but was too busy dodging to see the man throw a kick to Gray's knee that sent the ice mage tumbling to the ground.

"Delinquent child. I am not here to kill you. I am here for the princess, nothing more." the man said as he promptly stepped over Gray who was clutching his knee and cursing.

But as the man stepped over Gray, the man stopped. On the man's feet was hard ice, going up his leg slowly but surely. Gray grinned as he looked up at the man.

"You arent going anywhere!" Gray shouted triumphantly.

The man cursed in a foreign language and looked to see a fist with light surrounding it come towards him. It hit him straight across the face and the man lurched back, blood flowing from the man's nose. Loki stepped back, ready for a counter attack and Lucy just grinned, seeing the man scream in pain. There was a crack as the ice keeping the man grounded shattered and the man slid across the grassy ground and quickly stood up, glaring.

"Very well. There is no tolerance for those who fight any longer! Pins and Needles!" the man shouted as grey light surrounded him and then surrounded Loki.

The celestial spirit seemed to be fine and was coming for another attack when he suddenly stopped. Something was wrong with his body! Every step he took, the pain grew greater! And then, his entire body was effected. Lucy called the celestial spirit back but then she too started to feel the horrible sensation! The man smiled as he watched Lucy let out shouts of pain.

"You should have kept your spirit out. Once it goes in, my magic searches for a new target..." the man said cynically as Lucy fell to the ground, her body twitching from the pain.

Gray was also glaring up at the man, his knee not allowing him to stand.

'Damn it...we're in a tight spot...' the ice mage thought as he watched the man's fist come down on his stomach, knocking the wind out of him and sending him into darkness.

**Natsu, Roxas and Raigeki**

Natsu had seen Gray and Luc get taken down by the man they had seen advance forward into the town and he knew he had to have some help. He was searching for the princess who had vanished from sight when he ran into Roxas who were running towards where the strange man had been sighted.

"Natsu! I heard the enemy has found us! Is this true?" Roxas shouted as Natsu nodded and Raigeki cursed their luck.

"Then we need to go...NOW." Raigeki said as the two other mages nodded and started towards where the man had been seen.

"Wait just a minute!"

The three turned to see a woman standing on top of one of the buildings. She was pale, long blonde hair and had delicate features. She wore the same leather armor as the other man but she carried a strange looking sword with several blades that sprouted from the central blade.

"Why hello there. I hope you arent considering on joining the fight. My name is Bellarmine and you may have seen my husband P.T." she said, her voice kind and soft.

"Why can't you just leave us alone!" Roxas shouted, his face angry. He had visited the Garlan Consulate during his travels and they didnt seem at all war like!

The woman smiled sadly. She also regretted coming here as well. Not a single civilian had been harmed but it didnt seem right coming here and taking the enemy down in such a way.

"I'm sorry about all this but I have orders. We just want the princess." the woman said, reverting to a business like posture.

Everyone in the group of three grit their teeth. It was always the princess they wanted! That could only mean... Raigeki took a step forward, his face defiant. He had stood in the face of greater danger than this.

"We will preserve our kingdom to the end!" he shouted.

The woman nodded her head and jumped down from the building with grace.

"Very well, if it is a fight you want. However I will warn you. I am a Wolf Claw for a reason!" the woman shouted as she swung the strange looking sword towards the group of three.

The group of three split up, knowing that the sword could only go so far. However they were suddenly slammed through the walls of several houses. The three mages were bewildered as they stood from the wreckage, brushing the dust off of themselves.

"How in the world did she do that..." Raigeki groaned as he came out of the house he broken through.

Natsu's fists flamed and he ran foward, flames gathering at his mouth.

"Fire dragon's breath!" he shouted as the flames blasted towards Bellarmine.

The fire engulfed the entire land Bellarmine was standing on and the ground was being scorched black. But as the fire died away, Natsu was surprised to see Bellarmine with only minor burns on the leather armor she wore and that the sword glowed a slight red.

"Natsu! Im going in!" Roxas shouted as he thrust his amulet forward, the sunlight glinting off of it.

"Raphael! Come forth!" Roxas shouted as the amulet glowed and out came an angel with white armor that covers his entire body. He wore a helmet that covers the top half of his head and was about a foot tall. The angel carried a sword that was made of purple metal and Bellarmine seemed delighted to see the titan.

"A sword user! How exciting!" she said as the angel charged with the sword.

Raigeki and Natsu watched as the two clashed swords. Sparks flew from the metal as the two swords grinded against each other and Bellarmine grinned as suddenly, the extra blades that sprouted from the central blade, started to grow. They grew to the length of a normal sword and then they started to strike, striking the angel from all sides as he blocked Bellarmine's main sword.

Roxas just stared in disbelief. That was how she had struck all three of them at once! The blade's extra blades could move on their own! Roxas moved quickly, knowing that sending titans to fight her would be a winless battle.

"Armament! Raphael!" Roxas shouted as the legend titan faded away and a sword of purple metal appeared and attached to Roxas's right arm.

"Let us help you out Roxas!" Natsu and Raigeki shouted as they all charged together.

"Fire Dragon Slayer's Magnificent Flame!" Natsu shouted as golden flame blasted towards Bellarmine.

"Shadow Mirror! Rain of the Black!" Raigeki shouted as hundreds of black raindrops rained down towards Bellarmine.

The three attacks collided into Bellarmine and a blast of dust blew through the entire area where they were fighting. There was a shout of pain and then a slab of metal smashed into each of the mages, sending them smashing through a house. Unfortunately for Raigeki and Roxas, they had used up a massive amount of energy by using some of their strongest moves and titans. Natsu had been blown through a wall but he still had a bit of power left to fight. He was about to stand up when a solid blow to his stomach made the fire dragon slayer spit blood and drop to the ground, completely unconscious.

Bellarmine walked away from the three mages on the ground, frowning to herself. Just where was this princess?

**Bah, there you go. Im sorry but this is the only chapter I think I can write up tonight :( **

**I have a history and Latin test and also my back is killing me. Hopefully I can have my netbook by tomorrow because I checked the FedEx tracking and it said it would arrive tomorrow. If I can write another chapter I will. **

**Anyways, thanks for reading and we will see Erza, Hikari and Izaya vs Kalakos and Archibald later! FF**


	10. Flarina and Evadeus part 1

**The Wolf Claws are some of the most difficult characters for me. Not only are they extremely strong but they each have their own unique limits. Although they managed to defeat Lucy, Grey, Raigeki, Roxas and Natsu…3 of the Wolf Claws would die in the effort to defeat Wales. It just goes to show how strong Nightmare Mages are. Anyways, here is the second to last chapter of We Stand Alone!**

_With every invasion, there is always a resistance. The Fiore Civilian Resistance, or FCR, battle the Garlan Army as they march towards Arcana. Although the resistance is made up of civilians, the resistance successfully holds the army back for a significant amount of time. Using guerilla tactics, the Garlan war machine is slowed down, but only by a little. Sara and Noel travel towards Yanma where they will meet up with the Wolf Claws. But along the way, will they meet some difficulty?_

**Yanma**

"Lets go! To the carriages!" Erza shouted as she drew her sword and led Hikari and Izaya to the where they had put the carriages.

"Raigeki! Roxas!" Izaya and Hikari shouted as they ran through the small village, trying not to inhale the smoke that was rising from the burning houses.

Erza had met with Hikari and Izaya during the chaos that had erupted when the princess had run from the forest saying that the enemy had arrived. Sabrina was closely guarded by Izaya and Hikari as the group quickly ran to the barn where the carriage was. The whole time the princess was shouting about the safety of the others. Izaya and Hikari were especially worried as well.

"We don't have any time! We have to leave without them!" Erza shouted as they finally reached the medium sized wooden barn.

The three of them quickly opened the old and rotting wooden doors and revealed the carriage that they had somewhat fixed. The back of the carriage was full repaired but the sides were still in bad shape. The steam engine had thankfully gotten through ok and Izaya quickly got on and the princess was quickly ushered into the carriage.

"Alright! Hop on!" Izaya shouted as he started the steam engine.

Hikari was about to get on when suddenly a long black shadow coiled around his leg and stopped him. Hikari and Erza whipped around to see a man standing in front of them, the fires of a burning village him. His black and silver embroidered robes blew gently in the hot air. A veil of black cloth covered his face.

"I hope you aren't trying to escape. If you are, I might just have to fight you." The man said playfully.

Erza drew her sword and her anger dripped from her voice as her sword shook in pure fury.

"You….you burned the town down? Who do you think you are!" she shouted as she ex-equipped into her Knight armor.

The man shrugged and he took a look behind him at the town. Hikari could sense something strange about this man. His scent…it was…different.

"Ah, the town. Do not worry about the town. It can be rebuilt and all the citizens have been evacuated by Archibald. And your sons and comrades, do not worry. Bellarmine and P.T. are good hosts." The man said reassuringly.

Hundreds of swords materialized behind Erza, the razor sharp blades reflecting the fire of the town. Hikari also prepared himself. There was a fight coming and they knew it. Izaya was watching quietly from the top of the carriage. He had also detected something different about the man.

"That still does not give you the authority to march into the town and burn everything to the ground!" Erza shouted angrily as she glared at the man.

The man chuckled and he shook his head. The people of this continent were strange. The people in Garla were much more responsible.

"We are at war, Titania. Your king has foolishly challenged us and we have won. Your king and prince have been scheduled for execution. All I ask is that you hand over the princess. Perhaps she will be spared from the wrath of Great Queen." The man said darkly as he looked at the swords behind Erza.

It was quiet for a while, the only noise the crackling of fire as the small town burnt down to the ground. Then Erza smiled slowly. Hikari sensed that she was building up her magical power and his thoughts were soon confirmed.

"Very well! War it will be! For Fairy Tail and Fiore!" she roared as the hundreds of swords flew forwards, the wicked sharp blades cutting through the air at blinding speeds.

The man held out his hand and a barrier of black plates appeared around him. The swords struck the black metal plates and several of them stuck into the hard metal but a few bounced off and clattered to the ground.

"They call me Kalakos because Kalakos means 'shadow' in Garlan. They call you Titania because you are the armed maiden, unbeatable by any physical warrior. Now, I will show you why I am a Wolf Claw!" Kalakos shouted as the metal plates transformed into chains and they shot forward, smashing into the ground and turning into huge black snakes with red circles for eyes.

Hikari jumped backwards as one of the snakes snapped at him. With a quick shot of light, the snake fell apart and Hikari glared up at Kalakos. He had finally figured it out! This man…he was a dragon slayer! Hikari quickly turned to where the carriage was and he shouted at his friend to escape.

"Go! Get out of here and take the princess to safety!" he shouted.

"I cant just leave you here can I!" Izaya shouted back as the steam engine let out a puff of white steam.

"Just go! Erza will cover me! Hurry!" Hikari shouted as he dodged another black snake and tore it shreds.

Izaya cursed as he started the carriage and it accelerated towards the back of the barn. The carriage easily broke through the rotting wood and the carriage soon disappeared from sight. Hikari grinned as he turned Kalakos.

"You will never catch the princess now." Hikari said as Erza cut the last snake in half.

"That is where you are wrong." Kalakos said quickly. "There are four of us. We saved the strongest of our little group for last. He should be following the carriage right now."

Erza cursed and she ran forward, sword in hand and Hikari joined her, his fists glowing with white light. They attacked at the same time, coordinating their attacks so there was no gap in their attacks. But Kalakos was extremely agile as he dodged Erza's sword attacks and Hikari's fists. He seemed to be impressed as he dodged their attacks.

"Such coordination! Brilliant! You are a dragon slayer as well?" Kalakos said as he dodged a glowing fist.

"That's right! You seem to a dragon slayer of the darkness!" Hikari shouted as he jumped back with Erza.

Kalakos nodded his head and shadows started to gather around his mouth. Hikari also started to gather light so he could use his roar attack as well. Erza watched in awe as the two dragon slayers gathered their respective elements towards their mouths. And finally, the two elements shout towards each other with amazing power.

The two roars hit each other and they struggled there, the light dragon slayer and darkness dragon slayer trying to overpower each other. Erza watched in awe as the two slayers were thrown back, Hkari landing back in the barn, hitting the ground. Kalakos slid back, the ground building up as he moved back. Erza quickly changed into her Purgatory armor. She slammed her sword into the ground and several metal spikes struck out of the ground towards Kalakos. The dragon slayer shouted in pain as he was sent flying back, taking a direct hit from the spikes. Erza then learned Kalakos' weakness.

Hikari had stood up from where he had fallen and he was breathing heavily as he joined Erza. His brown hair had bits of dirt in it and his clothes were dirty.

"His weakness…I found it! He is strong when it comes to magical attack but he is weak to physical attack!" Erza shouted as she lifted her jagged sword from the ground.

Hikari looked where Kalakos was. So, he was weak to physical attack… Hikari started to develop a plan in his mind. Their attacks were equally matched so it would not be hard to…

"I have a plan Erza. I will go behind Kalakos and use my roar attack, resulting in an explosion that will send him flying back. Once that happens, I think you know what do." Hikari said as he took off running towards Kalakos.

Erza could only agree as she looked down at her gloves that had heavy blunted spikes attached. This plan had to work. No matter what. She looked up to see Hikari challenging Kalakos. Erza was looking Kalakos' back and Erza realized that Hikari had done it!

"Light Dragon's Roar!" Hikari shouted as the blast of white light shot towards the black robed man.

Suddenly a ball of black energy smashed into Hikari, sending him flying back into the smoking remains of a house. Kalakos did take the hit from Hikari's roar and he blasted back, smashing into Erza as he flew backwards. Erza smashed her armored fist into Kalakos' stomach and the mage let out a scream of pain. The dragon slayer suddenly smashed his fist into Erza's leg and Erza realized that it was covered in a black misty substance.

"Indefinite Nightmare!" Kalakos shouted in pain as he fell to the ground gasping.

The black substance started to crawl over Erza's leg and she realized that her vision was starting to go blurry. She kicked Kalakos' ribs and the mage let out a yelp of pain as his body smashed into the ground. Erza suddenly fell back, feeling off balance.

'Damn it! Kalakos…we must have done something! Indefinite Nightmare…I have heard that before…' Erza thought as the black misty substance swirled around her.

"Titania…you fought well. I admit my fault. The light dragon slayer, he is stronger than I am….but do not think you have won yet. There is still Archibald…still…Archibal-"

Kalakos stopped talking as his vision slowly faded to darkness and the dragon slayer was knocked out cold on the grass. Erza was about to say something when she felt a cold dark hand grab her and she too, fell into darkness. Hikari was awake although completely unable to move. He was laying in the middle of a burned out living room and he sighed slowly.

"Izaya, ride hard and escape." The light dragon slayer sighed as he looked up at the blue sky.

**Road out of Yanma**

Izaya was riding hard. He was pushing the steam engine as far as it could go. The princess was riding inside, most likely holding a rifle close. Izaya grit his teeth as he thought about what would happen to the princess if she was caught. Izaya was not as young as he used to be but he would do everything he could to protect her. Suddenly an arm wrapped around Izaya's neck to bring him into a headlock.

"What the hell?" shouted as he was suddenly lifted into the air.

Izaya watched the carriage travel without him along the road and he worried about what would happen to the princess without anyone protecting her.

"Do not struggle. It would be a shame if I had to drop you at least 200 feet from the air." A man's voice said.

Izaya realized that the man was right and he stopped struggling. They soon started descending and the headlock Izaya was in loosened and Izaya quickly jumped back. He faced a man that was much younger than he was. He wore a ceremonial uniform and he had a small pair of glasses on the bridge of his nose. His brown hair was combed flat and neatly and the man held a sword in his hand.

"My name is Archibald. I am the leader of the Wolf Claws. You must be Lord Tsubasa. Im sorry about my rudeness but could we hurry and fight? I don't want to prolong this struggle any longer. I am a master swordsman and I learned much from my master." Archibald said politely as he raised his sword.

One of Izaya's amulets glowed and soon Izaya held his own sword with several runes down the side. The red haired mage smiled.

"Was it perhaps, that a good swordsman tries to end the fight with the first blow?" Izaya asked as he smiled at Archibald.

Archibald bowed and the two men ran at each other, swords glinting. The two men ran past each other, their blades seemingly unmoved. Suddenly Archibald grabbed his shoulder and grunted. Izaya was about to stand when suddenly his sword blade suddenly fell off of the hilt. Izaya looked down in amazement. That was a titan armament! How in the world did he manage to break the blade! Archibald turned, grabbing his shoulder. The wound seemed to be deep and Archibald smiled.

"Forgive me. I did not want for us to be too hurt. This war has been long and bloody and I did not want more bloodshed. I just want peace." Archibald said, grabbing his shoulder.

Izaya nodded, knowing why the man had challenged him to a physical duel instead of a magical battle. This battle could have been much bloodier and longer.

"And you promise you will not harm the princess?" Izaya asked Archibald. Even if he accepted this peace offering, the princess's wellbeing was first.

"I will do my best to protect her from harm."

Izaya held out his hand and Archibald shook it. The first seconds of peace in months of war.

**Which one of the Wolf Claws was your favorite? If you have a favorite that is. I make the Wolf Claws seem like the most terrible people in the world but they aren't terrible people. Kalakos is actually Viannay. The next chapter is the last for We Stand Alone! I felt like this was the weirdest chapter. I was just so distracted during it.**

**I didn't like how this chapter turned out. But next chapter will be a little adventure for Sabrina. Thanks and leave a review. FF**


	11. Flarina and Evadeus finale

**The final chapter of We Stand Alone. I am glad this story got this far because the very first draft I made for this story (which was written on the plane ride back from New Orleans) was really weird and I decided not to do it. But then I realized that I could rework the plot and then We Stand Alone was born. This chapter focuses mainly on Sabrina and her little encounter. I hope you enjoy the last chapter and thank you. **

_Sabrina's POV_

I was holding the rifle close to me, breathing hard. I was so scared. Who would have known that the search for a simple little princess would be so violent? I looked out the window of the carriage to see no one following us but then I looked forward to see that the reigns were…slack?

My heart slammed in my throat as I tried to see if Lord Izaya was still on top of the carriage. I almost fell out of the carriage leaning out but I managed to see that Izaya was not there anymore. I gripped the rifle even tighter and tried not to panic. I knew how to drive a carriage but getting up there would be difficult if the carriage didn't crash first. I looked out the window again, towards the front of the carriage and I felt nervousness and terror hit me.

The carriage was heading towards a slight bend that would require a driver to work around. If there was no driver, the carriage would certainly tip over.

"Damn it…damn it all!" I shouted, frustrated with my own uselessness.

I opened the door of the carriage and threw the rifle upon on the driver's seat. I grabbed the small ledge on the side of the carriage with my right hand and I closed my eyes, feeling the wind go through my hair and I finally stepped out of the carriage, grabbing the ledge with both hands and resting my feet on a ledge near the bottom. I slowly my way forward, hands sweating and heart pounding in my head.

'Come on…I can do this!' I thought to myself desperately as I reached up to grab the edge of the top of the carriage.

I was about get a full grip on the top when suddenly the carriage let out a shriek and the carriage tipped over, my mind being flooded with terror. I had been too late and the carriage had hit the bend! There was a jarring thud and the sound of splintering wood as the side of the carriage that hit the ground cracked and splintered. I could feel myself fall off the side of the carriage and hit the ground and I opened my eyes to see that the carriage was completely destroyed. It was a miracle that I had not been riding on the side that had hit the small of grouping of rocks next to a group of trees. I stood up and I brushed myself off slowly, looking at the wreckage that used to be a carriage. I looked at my hair and I just sighed.

"I look like a mess." I sighed as I went over to the driver seat of the fallen carriage and retrieved my rifle. "I must keep moving. There is no way I can be captured."

Once I had steadied myself from the crash, I took off running. I ran through the forest, carrying the rifle. That rifle, gave me a sense of security as I crashed out of forest, feeling light headed. I was on the verge hysteria. And then I saw the carriage go past me. I watched it pass, the gilded sides and the two soldiers sitting in the driver's seat. And then suddenly, there was a small explosion and the carriage let out a shriek as it suddenly started to sway. The soldiers on the top fired shots into the forest as the carriage smashed into the ground, the soldiers flying off of it, shouting. There were the sounds of alarmed shouts from the forest as several figures in dark clothing fled the scene. The carriage was eerily quiet as I slowly advanced forward, my heart pounding with fear. I went around the side of the carriage to see a soldier lying on the ground. The other soldier was on his knees and he was holding onto his rifle, his black armor dusty.

"Hands in the air! Now!" I shouted in terror when I realized he was alive.

The soldier started to raise his rifle when I realized that I had never even checked if the rifle was loaded or been trained to shoot. I was about to surrender when the soldier suddenly fell to the ground and lay still. I turned away from the two soldiers to search inside the carriage. I opened the door to the carriage and I was shocked to see…Noel.

He was bleeding, his arm crushed between the side of the carriage and the side of the road. He was struggling with something and his eyes widened when he saw me looking through the carriage.

"M…my sister…take her f-first." Noel coughed as I nodded furiously and searched for his sister.

She was leaning against the carriage, blood coming from her head and I quickly grabbed her, not caring if I got blood on my clothes. I carried her with both hands and I dragged her out of the carriage, her blood spilling onto the road as I dragged her and tore my own clothes to create a bandage.

"Your going to be…ok. O-ok. Yeah you will be ok." I muttered to myself as I bandaged her head with my ripped up clothes.

She was quite beautiful, must have been as old as I was. She was wearing leather armor and her hair was spotted with blood so I couldn't tell what color it really was. Suddenly I heard the sound of a steam engine behind me and several shouts. I finished bandaging Noel's sister and I turned around, the rifle still in my hand.

A soldier in teal armor was standing in front of me, a bandage covering his lower jaw. He quickly kicked the rifle out of my hand and swiftly pushed me to the ground. Within seconds there were several black armored soldiers standing above me, rifles pointed at me. I looked over to see more soldiers dragging Noel and his sister towards their carriage. I looked at the soldiers and I put my hands on top of my head.

"I surrender."

…

_Sara and Noel where heading to Yanma when their carriage fell to an ambush by the civilian resistance. Thankfully, Sabrina had been there to save Sara who would have died if help had not reached her sooner. Unfortunately, Sabrina was captured by Garlan troops who later realized that she was a member of the royal family. The members of Fairy Tail and the nobles who had protected Sabrina were nursed back to health and then released. Sabrina was not harmed during her stay as a Garlan prisoner as Archibald had promised but the final decision was up to Sara. But the queen was still not in a merciful mood and the very second Sabrina could walk, the entire Flarina family was marched into the palace courtyard of Crocus to be executed. _

"Present rifles!"

Sabrina did her best to look brave or graceful or both during her final moments. But her thoughts kept drifting between terror and…Natsu. Something about the flame mage made Sabrina happy.

"3!"

Maybe it was the way he treated her as a human being and not like a fragile piece of glass? He had never addressed her by her title a single time.

"2!"

Or maybe it was how he had called her "strange". At the time she had thought _he _was the strange one with the talking and flying cat afterall.

"1!"

Whatever the reason, Sabrina had enjoyed her time with Natsu like no one else she had ever met in her life. And now, that life was coming to an end.

"Vir!"

The muzzles flashed and Sabrina closed her eyes. She expected to feel her life slip away at any moment.

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

But that moment never came. Sabrina slowly opened her eyes to see Sara kneeling before her, dressed in her royal clothes and the Crown of Knives on her head. Christian and her father were also surprised as well.

"Sabrina of the Flarina dynasty, I owe you my life. And therefore, I will give you your life and your family's as well as payment. However you must acknowledge our claim over this land and never seek to reclaim it. We have arranged a house for you and your family and perhaps you can rise through the ranks in our own hierarchy. Once again, I thank you ashahazad*." The queen said as she stood and smiled.

Sabrina smiled back as she bowed in return.

"E unz denatus te youble es zeil. E akasan youble ashahazad." (I am in debt to you as well. I thank you my friend.) Sabrina said as she held out her hand.

The queen shook her hand with a smile and the friendship between two once enemies began.

_But while this story had a happy ending, the Wizard Council continued to fight against The Garlan Consulate. But the Wizard Council would be hindered by the emergence of a rogue guild called Toy Box and Fairy Tail would be called upon once again. Eventually, the Garlan war machine would defeat the remnants of the Rune Knights at the gates of Arcana and Sara would take the throne as the Empress of Garla and Queen of Fiore. The Wizard Council would be dissolved and it would not be reformed for another 150 years. _

**Double update! Yeah! Anyways, I hope you guys liked this story and I wanted to thank everyone who reviewed! You guys rock! **

**References: *ashahazad means "My friend" in Garlan**

**I wanted to thank you all for reviewing! Thanks again! FF**


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